What foods can/can't you freeze?

Fozz

Hi, wondered if anyone can answer question about blanching veg for freezer. If it says 2 minutes does it mean 2 mins from when you actually put veg in boiling water, or from when water comes back to boil after adding veg?
Have picked up some good tips from this thread so far!

beemuzed

Angelavdavis - you are a star! My biggest gripe is using only part of a can of coconut milk - never thought of freezing it!

mocolo

I was only having this discussion with some friends last night. I have a reputation amongst my friends because I will try to freeze anything. Ido most of the things you have mentioned but hadn't tried the eggs.......good to know.Bread we don't eat quickly , so we take it out a slice at a time. I have alos tried ground coffee a long time ago- I think it was fine. But myl atest lot is just in the cupboard at the moment. I freeze bananas if they are going ripe and I haven't time to bake with them.They go a very ugly shade of black but are fine in cakes and also (but I haven't tried it) apparently as popsicles if you cut them and freeze portions on sticks dipped in some kind of nut topping.
Someone bought me one of those vacuum sealers and I love it. I couldn't survive without my freezer. Great thread.

N9eav

You can freeze bodies, but they take 5 days to thaw, I have been told by a friend who works at the Morgue.

tealady

Frozen grapes are fantastic on a hot day. I wash them and pull them off their stalks 1st. I just freeze them flat and when they are frozen put them into a plastic box (so they don't get squashed)

sundancer101

Have to agree there are some great tips on this thread. We regularly freeze our 'emergency' pints of milk - saves on late night trips to petrol station to ensure there is milk for early morning tea/coffee. Only thing I would say about freezing milk is that it has to be fully defrosted before using, don't know the technical aspects but it seems that the water element defrosts first leaving the rest (with all the taste) to defrost later.

One question I would like to ask is, can people recommend sandwiches that can be bulk made then frozen for use in the week? I have tried ham ones in the past and they seemed to work, but it would be nice to have some different ideas.

odds-n-sods

I think almost anything will freeze - jars of sauces, pesto, veg, plain cake, fruit crumbles etc.

soappie

lynzpower wrote: »

..things like courgettes, beansprouts, peppers - those veg with a high water content dont freeze that well.

The secret with peppers is to deseed, wash and slice and put in the freezer straight away (i.e. no blanching). I have done this very successfully. I freeze them in portion size bags and then just fling, still frozen, into whatever sauce or dish (e.g. mince for lasagne, bolognaise etc) I'm making. As long as the mince/sauce is cooked for a minimum of 10 mins after putting the peppers in, they are fine.

daisyroots_2

lynzpower wrote: »

ive got my basic food hygiene certificate! Im not worried about this at all they are fully cooked through too.

in fact the biggest cause of food poisioning is reheating rice. Which I also do regularly

I've got a Basic Food Hygiene Certificate too - had to do it when DH and I ran our B&B - and the reheated rice statistic made a big impression on me as well. Just wanted to second what lynzpower say about eggs, the key is thorough cooking. Spent 8 years cooking Full English Breakfasts for about 10 people a day, seven days a week, and never poisoned anyone!

[Deleted User]

I'll be filling my freezer again. I did buy a huge block of cheese from our local cash and carry. The date on it is actually October 07. Will it be ok in the fridge until then or should i freezer little blocks of it. I would also be concerned about defrosting it.